Meanwhile, in South Austin

4-acre South Austin brewery debuts with tasting room, playground, and food trucks

A new community-oriented brewery is bubbling up in town. Meanwhile Brewing Co., an expansive new destination spanning nearly four acres in Southeast Austin, is making its debut on Friday, October 16, nearly one year after the ambitious project was first announced.

Meanwhile is located on 3.7 acres at 3901 Promontory Point Dr., just south of 71, and a few blocks east of the St. Elmo development. With roots in the Portland beer scene, Meanwhile is making its Capital City debut with a tap list of seven beers meant to appeal to all types of hop heads.

Sip on a Trust Fall IPA, a "new-school" West Coast India Pale Ale, or take it easy with Picnic Daysis, a Kolsch-style sipper meant to be enjoyed all day. Other offerings include a rye, a classic West Coast IPA, and an English-style pale ale and a hazy pale ale.

"Our opening taplist is a good glimpse of the fun beer we plan to offer,” says co-founder/brewmaster Will Jaquiss in a release. “We look forward to serving a multitude of styles and experimental brews in the years to come.”

For non-beer drinkers, Meanwhile offers up a menu of frozens (including a frozen boozy horchata), a cocktail menu with an emphasis on spritzes and sakes, and a series of housemade hard seltzers that will put White Claw to shame. A full coffee program led by Parlor Coffee rounds out the drink offerings.

For those looking for a bite to go with their booze, Meanwhile houses three food trucks: Pueblo Viejo, the beloved East Austin Mexican truck; local favorite Garbo's, which serves up lobster rolls and other seafood fare; and Craft Woodfire Pizza, serving traditional Neapolitan pies.

The brewery's expansive space also houses a taproom, though it will only be used for ordering until COVID-19 restrictions ease, and an events space. Architecture and design was led by OPA design studio and designers McCray & Co.

"Many of the design moves in the tasting room and the private room were based on pubs in Europe," said designer Chris McCray. "There's a certain formality in using brass and dark green tones — the trick was to keep it approachable. That’s the Austin part."

Out of doors, the space invokes a playful atmosphere, one that is meant to appeal to all ages. A stage and sound system, designed with help from Red River music venue Mohawk, will host live music and community events. A playground and soccer field is also on the grounds, but will not open for foreseeable future due to the ongoing pandemic.

“We wanted a place that people felt equally at home bringing their laptop and having a cup of coffee in the morning as they would meeting friends for a fresh air lunch, or for a beer in the afternoon with their pup and maybe hanging around to see some live music in the evening,” says Jaquiss. “The recent pandemic has slowed our plans a bit, but we hope to roll out all of the full features of this place as soon as it is safe to do so."

Meanwhile Brewing is open seven days a week, 8 am-10 pm, Monday through Thursday; 8 am-11 pm, Friday; 9 am-11 pm, Saturday; and 9 am-8 pm Sunday.

Guerilla Suit was tasked with branding and design.

Photo courtesy of Meanwhile Brewing Co.

Guerilla Suit was tasked with branding and design.

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Omakase for Everyone

New South Austin restaurant swims against current of expensive omakase

Photo courtesy of Tancho Sushi

Tancho Sushi keeps things simple.

Austin had no shortage of beautiful sushi restaurants, but a new one at Lantana Place is doing drawing the trend away from the center of the city and sticking a lower price tag on the experience. Tancho Sushi, offering "everyday omakase," is now open at 7415 Southwest Parkway.

The thought of casual omakase feels like a bit of an oxymoron in Austin, where the service style — which tasks the chef with choosing what the diner will eat — is almost synonymous with something fancy and expensive. Factor in the interior design at Tancho, which certainly doesn't look pedestrian, and it's hard to believe it's actually an everyday meal.

But all things considered, these prices seem reasonable: $29 for the lightest dinner option, and capping out at a $59 feast. Lunch is even less expensive, starting at $24.

Tancho Sushi interior The airy space takes advantage of its surroundings outside of the city.Photo courtesy of Tancho Sushi

In some omakase experiences, the chef might factor in a diner's taste, the special ingredients that are available that day, and any number of other factors to determine what hits the table. But at Tancho, these prix fixe options are predetermined, doubtlessly contributing to the more accessible pricing.

The 50-seat restaurant also uses a clever marketing angle to get diners in who aren't necessarily experienced in sushi, or might otherwise be intimidated by letting a chef choose unfamiliar foods. "With thoughtfully curated preset menus, Tancho simplifies the dining experience by eliminating the guesswork so guests can focus on enjoying their meals," a press release announcing the opening says.

The release was sent November 22, but it looks like Tancho has been serving customers in a soft opening capacity for about a month, based on its Google reviews (which are stunningly high for a new restaurant at 4.7 stars).

Offerings at Tancho are simple.Photo courtesy of Tancho Sushi

Although each menu is different, there is a shared arc. All four experiences start with sunomono salad, a cucumber-based dish with red seaweed and sesame. Then there's tuna sashimi with smoked yuzu ponzu and scallions, and the rest depends on what the diner chooses.

Some standout items across the dinner service are sea bream on the light menu; akami (very red meat along the spine of a tuna) on the standard omakase menu; a lobster open hand roll on the rolls-only menu; and a tuna flight on the grand omakase menu.

No menu item is especially complicated. The focus is on doing each ingredient right, including the temperature the fish is served at and even the flavor of house-made soy sauce and ponzu.

“We keep the focus on the ingredients,” said co-founder Brad Van Otterloo in the release. “By stripping away unnecessary flourishes, we allow the quality of our fish to take center stage. This is a Texas-born concept through and through, and we’re proud to contribute to Austin’s growing sushi reputation.”

The open hand rolls are a signature for the restaurant.Photo courtesy of Tancho Sushi

Despite all this talk of omakase, it is possible to order à la carte items: some appetizers, nigiri (sliced fish on top of rice), and rolls. There's also a carefully curated beverage program, which largely focuses on sake. That includes the Kubota Manju or “Ten Thousand Celebrations" ($79), renowned in Japan for its complex layers and smooth mouthfeel.

“As Austin continues to grow, we wanted to introduce a fresh take on the sushi experience,” said Van Otterloo. “We’re here to make sushi approachable for Austinites while honoring the integrity of this cuisine. It’s about creating a space where everyone can discover and enjoy sushi at their own pace – no pressure, no pretense.”

Tancho Sushi exterior This restaurant is meant to be approachable.Image courtesy of Tancho Sushi

Tancho Sushi is located at 7415 Southwest Parkway, Building 4, Suite 300. It's open daily from 11 am to 10 pm, offering both dine-in and takeout. There are no reservations.

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